LAS VEGAS — The Irish middleweight Gary O’Sullivan has a
message for the Montrealer David Lemieux: “Don’t try to
intimidate me, you are losing your time.”

Ranked third contender by the WBA and the WBO in the 160
pounds division, and sixth by the WBC, O’Sullivan (28-2-0)
will face Lemieux (39-4-0), the WBO fifth contender,
September 15th in the ring of the T-Mobile Arena in Las
Vegas, before the presentation of the main event, the WBA
and WBC middleweight championship of the world opposing
Gennady Golovkin (38-0-1), from Kazakstan, to Saul Canelo
Alvarez (49-1-2), from Mexico.

“If Lemieux believes he can scare me, he is not realistic at
all,” said O’Sullivan. “If he believes seriously he can
intimidate me, he is losing his time. No doubt in my mind, I
will finish the bout in the winning’s corner September 15th.
I am positive I have the technique and the speed to control
and dominate the action in this bout. And I am sure that
Lemieux still affected mentally by his lost against Billy
Joe Saunders, the night of my victory over Antoine Douglas
in Laval last December. Lemieux said he will destroy me, but
he is wrong, I will destroy him. I will take care of
Lemieux, and challenge the winner of this world championship
bout between Golovkin and Alvarez. I want so much to become
world champion, not only for the prestige, but to give a
great life to my family. As you know, a world champion is
making a lot of money if he keeps his title.”

Lemieux’s trainer, Marc Ramsay, studied seriously the
O’Sullivan style in watching videos. “I watched several
bouts involving O’Sullivan,” said Ramsay. “He is strong
physically, he is solid on his legs, he can punch solidly
and he is fighting well technically. However, David got a
great preparation and I am sure he is ready for this
challenge. David is extremely motivate, then, I am expecting
from him a great performance in Las Vegas. The one who will
fight with the most discipline and concentration will be the
winner, and obviously, my choice is David. I know he has the
weapons to win significant bouts on the international boxing
scene.”

Ramsay believes that the end of 2018 and 2019 will be
important moments in the Lemieux’s boxing career. “David is
well ranked by the WBO, then, a world championship bout can
happen anytime for him this year or next year,” said Ramsay.
“I really think that David can become back world champion.
He is more mature now, and his motivation is at the top. But
David knows like me that a win is a must Saturday evening.”

Lemieux won the IBF middleweight championship of the world
in 2015 in Montréal, in beating the French African Hassan
N’dam N’Jikam (36-3-0) by unanimous decision. However, in
October the same year, he lost his title against Golovkin in
an unification titles bouts (WBC and IBF) presented in the
ring of the Madison Square Garden in New York. Golovkin beat
him by TKO in the eighth round.

“Like I said, David wants absolutely to get another shot for
a world title, and he knows he has now the maturity and the
experience to reach his goal,” said Ramsay. “No doubt that
David is better technically than he was in 2015. And David
is not afraid to face the best middleweights on the planet.
After his fight with O’Sullivan, don’t be surprise if he
challenges publicly the winner of this rematch
Golovkin-Alvarez.”

Paschal Collins, the O’Sullivan’s trainer, is more than
satisfy of his fighter’s preparation. “Gary took this fight
very seriously, and he got a marvellous preparation,” said
Collins. “Lemieux is a tough opponent, I can't deny it, but
I am positive that Gary has the technique, the speed and the
discipline to win this fight. I know that he is really
impatient to be involved in a world championship fight,
then, he knows he got to be the big winner this week-end in
Las Vegas.”

O’Sullivan, like Lemieux, wants to challenge the winner of
this rematch Golovkin-Alvarez.